{"id":13680,"date":"2017-11-28T04:45:46","date_gmt":"2017-11-28T10:45:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/michaelhyatt.com\/?p=13680"},"modified":"2017-11-28T04:45:46","modified_gmt":"2017-11-28T10:45:46","slug":"why-discomfort-is-good-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/why-discomfort-is-good-for-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Discomfort Is Good for You"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most of us have heard about the very first marathon. After the Athenians defeated Persian invaders at the battle of Marathon in 490 B.C., a messenger ran twenty-six miles to share the exciting news. At least, that\u2019s how the popular version<\/a> of the story goes. But in The Road to Sparta<\/a><\/em>, Dean Karnazes tells the real story. And, surprisingly, it\u2019s even more compelling.<\/p>\n

The runner, whose name was Pheidippides, actually ran more than 150 miles all the way from Athens to Sparta\u2014and then back again. And he did that before the battle. Karnazes says the same runner might have run the final stretch after the victory at Marathon for a grand total of more than 325 miles!<\/p>\n

If that sounds farfetched, Karnazes tells the story of a British air force commander named John Foden. In 1982 Foden led a small group who ran the distance from Athens to Sparta in under thirty-five hours. A year later Foden cofounded a 153-mile race retracing his steps. It\u2019s called the Spartathalon, and Karnazes ran it himself in 2014.<\/p>\n

As an ultramarathoner, Karnazes had already chalked up major feats, including fifty marathons in fifty states on fifty consecutive days; running 350 miles<\/a> in three days\u2014without stopping or sleep; finishing the Badwater Ultramarathon multiple times<\/a>; even running a marathon at the South Pole<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But the Spartathalon held mammoth challenges of its own, including Karnazes\u2019 determination to run the distance with only the foods Pheidippides would have eaten: olives, figs, and cured meats. Why would a person willingly go through something like that?<\/p>\n

The upside of discomfort<\/h3>\n

I first read about Karnazes several years ago in an article in Wired<\/a><\/em>, and I\u2019ve followed his career ever since. I was so inspired by that first article, I bought his book, Ultramarathon Man<\/a><\/em>, and devoured it. I then made a commitment to run my first ever half marathon. I\u2019ve run several since.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s never easy, but Karnazes says that\u2019s good. In an interview with Outside<\/a><\/em>, Karnazes makes an important point that many of us have forgotten:<\/p>\n

\n Western culture has things a little backwards right now. We think that if we had every comfort available to us, we\u2019d be happy. We equate comfort with happiness. And now we\u2019re so comfortable we\u2019re miserable. There\u2019s no struggle in our lives. No sense of adventure. We get in a car, we get in an elevator, it all comes easy. What I\u2019ve found is that I\u2019m never more alive than when I\u2019m pushing and I\u2019m in pain, and I\u2019m struggling for high achievement, and in that struggle I think there\u2019s a magic.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That observation doesn\u2019t just apply to running. That applies to all of life, especially the goals we set. Personal engagement, happiness, and satisfaction come when we\u2019re making progress toward significant goals. I\u2019m talking about the kind of achievements that push us outside our Comfort Zone<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why Karnazes made the Spartathlon even harder than it needed to be. He knew he could tackle the race. He\u2019d already run longer distances. But running the race with the same limitations Pheidippides was under made his experience even richer.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

3 reasons to embrace discomfort<\/h3>\n

I\u2019ve never run the kind of distances Karnazes regularly runs, but I have achieved daunting goals. I\u2019ve started businesses, written books, surpassed revenue targets, and lots more. I\u2019m sure you have too. Maybe you created a new product, salvaged a damaged relationship, got into top physical shape, or grew a sales channel by double digits.<\/p>\n

Given the difficulties and our inherent fear of failure, we might resist setting daunting goals\u2014even if we\u2019ve got some big wins under our belts already. I get it. But there are at least three reasons we should all embrace discomfort when it comes to setting goals for our lives.<\/p>\n

First, comfort is overrated.<\/em> It doesn\u2019t lead to happiness. It makes us lazy\u2014and forgetful. It often leads to self-absorption, boredom, and discontent.<\/p>\n

Second, discomfort is a catalyst for growth.<\/em> It makes us yearn for something more. It forces us to change, stretch, and adapt.<\/p>\n

Third, discomfort is a sign of progress.<\/em> You\u2019ve heard the expression, \u201cno pain, no gain.\u201d It\u2019s true! When you push yourself to grow, you will experience discomfort, but it will be worth it. I like what St. Ignatius said in his letter to his friend Polycarp: \u201cWhere the labour is great, the gain is all the more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t shrink from discomfort. Instead, let it guide you toward accomplishment.<\/p>\n\t\t